Crumb cleaner



y 31, 1955 w. H. HARRIS 2,756,456

CRUMB CLEANER Filed Sept. 15, 1955 W/L LIAM H. HARRIS IN V EN TOR.

ATTORNEY United States Patent CRUMB CLEANER William H. Harris, Oklahoma City, Okla. Application September 15, 1955, Serial No. 534,591

3 Claims. (Cl. 15-344) The present invention relates to suction or vacuum cleaners, and more particularly to a battery operated cleaner for removing bread crumbs, and the like, from dining tables in lieu of the pan and brush commonly referred to as a silent butler.

The primary object of the present invention is to provide a comparatively small compact and neat appearing device which may be conveniently carried and operated by one hand for cleaning bread crumbs, and the like, off of dining tables.

Another important object is to provide a device of this class which is portable and powered by batteries, thus eliminating the necessity of attaching electrical cords, or the like.

Another object is to provide a device of this class which is comparatively silent in its operation, and which will not distract the attention of other diners in the room.

A further object is to provide a device of this class which may be easily emptied or cleaned.

Still another object is to provide a device which has a comparatively long service life, requiring only the changing of worn out batteries to keep the device in operation.

The present invention accomplishes these and other objects by providing an upright substantially rectangular hollow casing having forward and rearward end walls and having a removable top and bottom frictionally carried by the end and side walls of the casing. A horizontally disposed partition divides the easing into an upper and a lower compartment. An annular depending wall is carried by the lower surface of the forward end of the partition to form a fan compartment. The bottom is hingedly connected transversely to form a downwardly opening rear door for cleaning the lower compartment. A motor is carried by the upper compartment with an armature shaft projecting downwardly into the fan compartment. A suction fan is mounted on the shaft within the fan compartment. Batteries operatively connected to the motor by wiring are carried by the upper compartment and are actuated by a manually controlled switch carried by the forward end of the casing.

Other objects will be apparent from the following description when taken in conjunction with the accompanying single sheet of drawings, wherein:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of the device;

Figure 2 is an elevational side view of the device partly in section; and,

Figure 3 is a fragmentary exploded perspective view of the lower portion and bottom of the device.

Like characters of reference designate like parts in those figures of the drawings in which they occur.

- In the drawings:

The reference numeral indicates, as a whole, a hollow casing having a forward end wall 12, a rearward end wall 14, and rearwardly converging side walls 16 and 18, integrally joined, respectively, to the front and rear end walls. The casing 10 is rectangular in general configuration and has its forward end 12 and its rearward end 14 bulged or arcuately curved outwardly intermediate their ends having rounded corners at the point of juncture with the side walls 16 and 18. The top of the casing is closed by a lid or top 20 which has a length and a width substantially equal with relation to the casing 10 and which has its upper surface arcuately curved upwardly longitudinally which tapers or slopes dovwiwardly toward the rear and has comparatively short depending end and side walls similarly rounded or curved at their points of juncture with the upper surface of the top. Said lid or top is removably carried frictionally in overlapping engagement with the upper edge portions of the ends and side walls of the casing 10. Thus, the casing 10 and top 20 form a comparatively smooth exterior surface which is pleasing to the eye and is of a width and length that is easily grasped by the palm and fingers of one hand. The side walls 16 and 18 are each provided with a plurality of longitudinally extending indentations or ridges, as at 22, to facilitate gripping the opposite sides of the casing between the thumb and fingers of the hand.

A horizontally disposed partition 24 divides the interior of the casing 10 into an upper compartment 26 and a lower compartment 28. An annular wall 29 is rigidly connected to and depends from the forward end portion of the partition 24 to form a downwardly open fan compartment 30. The wall 29 is provided with a rearwardly disposed aperture or opening 32, for the purposes which will presently be apparent.

The lower compartment 28 is closed by a substantially flat bottom 34 cooperatingly formed with relation to the bottom of the casing 10 and having comparatively short upstanding end and side walls which are removably received frictionally within the lower edge portions of the ends and side walls of the casing 10. The bottom 34 is transversely hingedly connected, as at 35, intermediate its ends to form a stationary forward end closure portion 36 and a downwardly opening door 38 for cleaning the lower compartment 24. The lower surface of said forward end portion 36 is provided with a depending wedge shaped section, as at 40, which centrally tapers toward the forward end of the bottom 34 to define a pair of spaced-apart elongated runner supports 42 which serve to support the device in closely spaced relation with a table surface, not shown. A rectangular aperture 44 is cut through the lower surface of the bottom 34 between the supports 42 in communication with the fan compartment 30. The upper surface of the forward portion 36 of the bottom rigidly carries a short upstanding annular wall 46 diametrically slightly larger than the fan chamber wall 29 and overlaps the lower edge portion of the same. I

An electric motor 50 is mounted in the forward end portion of the upper chamber 26 and having an armature shaft 52 centrally projecting downward into the fan chamber 30. A suction fan 54 is journaled by the shaft 52 to rotate the fan. Storage batteries 56 are carried by the upper chamber 26 rearwardly of the motor. A push button type switch 58 is mounted in the upper portion of the forward end 12. Electric wiring 60 operatively connects the batteries 56 and switch 58 with the motor 50 to drive the fan 54.

A stiff bristled brush 62 is rigidly connected transversely to the lower portion of the forward end 12 in spaced relation above the bottom and projects angularly forwardly and downwardly, for the purposes disclosed hereinbelow.

Operation The device is manually grasped on opposing sides by one hand with the forefinger resting upon the switch 58. The motor is actuated to rotate the fan 54 by pressure exerted on the switch 58 as the bottom 34 of the device is manually pushed over the top of a table cloth having bread crumbs or the like thereon, not shown. The suction of the fan 54 draws the crumbs upwardly into the fan chamber 30 and discharges the crumbs rearwardly through the opening 32 into the lower compartment 28, The lower end portion of the rearward end 14 is preferablyplurally perforated, as at 64, for communication with the interior of the lower compartment to allow discharge of the air drawn into the lower chamber by the fan. The brush 62 is used to dislodge any food sticking to the table cloth by tipping the device forwardly to engage the surface of the cloth. The door 38 is periodically opened to clean the lowercompartment.

Obviously the invention is susceptible to some change or alteration without defeating its practicability, and I therefore do not wish to be confined to the preferred embodiment shown in the drawings and described herein, further than I am limited by the scope of the appended claims.

- I claim:

l. A cleaning device, including: a hollow casing having substantially vertically disposed forward and rearward end walls, and having vertically disposed rearwardly converging side walls, said casing having a horizontal partition dividing the easinginto an upper 'and a lower compartrnent, said rearward end wall being'plurally perfora'ted adjacent its lower end portion for communication with said lower compartment; a top removably carried frictionally in overlapping relation by the upper edge portions of said end and side walls, said top being arcuately curved upwardly; a substantially fiat bottom having comparatively short upstanding end and side walls removably received in frictional engagement within the lower edge portions of said end and side walls, said bottom comprising forward and rear portions hinged together about a transverse intermediate axis, said rear portion forming a downwardly opening cleaning door, said bottom having an aperture in the lower surface of the forward end portion; an annular depending partition wall carried by the forward end portion of said horizontal partition forming a downwardly opening fan compartinent in communication with the aperture in said bottom, said annular wall having a rearwardly disposed opening; a motorin said upper compartment, said motor having an armature shaft projecting into said fan compartment; a suction fan on said shaft driven by said motor; batteries carried by said upper compartment; and control means connecting said batteries with said motor, said means including a switch carried by the forward end of said casing and electric wiring for connecting said batteries and said switch with said motor.

2; A cleaning device, including: a hollow casing having substantially vertically disposed forward and rearward end walls and vertically disposed rearwardly converging side walls, said casing having a horizontal partition dividing the casing into'an upper and a lower compartment, said rearward end wall having a plurality of perforations adjacent its lower end portion in communication with said lower compartment; a top removably carried frictionally in overlapping relation by the upper edge portions of said end and side walls, said top being arcuately curved upwardly; a substantially flat bottom having comparatively short upstanding end and side walls removably received and frictionally held within the lower edge portions of the side and end walls of said casing, said bottom comprising forward and rear portions hinged together about a transverse intermediate aXis forming a rearward downward opening door for cleaning said lower compartment, said bottomhaving an aperture in the lower surface a of the forward end portion; an annular depending wall carried by the forward end portion of said horizontal partition forming a downwardly opening fan compartment in communication with the aperture in said bottom, said annular wall having a rearwardly disposed opening; a motor in said upper compartment, said motor having an armature shaft projecting into said fan compartment; a suction fan on said shaft driven by said motor; batteries carried by said upper compartment; and control means connecting said batteries with said motor, said means including a switch carried by the forward end of said casing and electric Wiring connecting said batteries and said switch with said motor. i

3. A cleaning device, including: a hollow casing having substantially vertically disposed forward and end walls, said casing having vertically disposed rearwardly converging side walls integrally connected with said forward and rearward end walls, said casing having a horizontal partition dividing the easing into an upper and a lower compartment, said rearward end wall having a plurality of perforations adjacent its lower end portion in communication with-said lower compartment; a top having an arcuately upwardly curved upper surface and comparatively short depending integrally connected end and side walls removably carried frictionally in overlapping relation by the upper edge portions of the side and end walls of said casing; a substantially flat bottom having comparatively short upstanding end and side walls removably frictionally carried within the lower edge portions of the side and end walls of said casing, said bottom comprising forward and rear portions hinged together about a transverse intermediate axis forming a rearward downwardly opening door for cleaning said lower compartment, said bottom having a centrally located aperture in the lower surface of the forward end portion, the lower surface of the forward end portion of said bottom having a pair of integral spaced-apart elongated runner supports disposed on opposing sides of the aperture and projecting forwardly of the same, said supports terminating rearwardly of the aperturein a thickened portion of said bottom surface; a comparatively short upstanding annular wall rigidly carried by the upper surface of said bottom surrounding the aperture; an annular walled fan compartment rigidly carried by the lower surface of said partition and having its lowermost edges closely received within said annular wall on said bottom, said fan compartment having an aperture in its wall opening into the rearward portion of said lower compartment; a motor carried by said upper compartment, said motor having an armature shaft projecting into said fan compartment; a suction fan on said shaft within said fan compartment; batteries carried by said upper compartment; and control means connecting said batteries with said motor, said means including a switch carried by the forward end of said casing and electric wiring operatively connecting said batteries and said switch with said motor, whereby operation of said motor causes said fan to draw waste particles through the aperture in said bottom and discharge the particles into the rearward portion of said lower compartment.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

